A Chhattisgarh sessions court has sentenced three men to death for the gang rape and murder of a police personnel’s wife and the killing of his 12-year-old daughter in 2024, holding that the extreme brutality of the offences placed the case within the “rarest of the rare” category.
Additional Sessions Judge Anand Prakash Variyal of the Surajpur court awarded capital punishment to Kuldeep Sahu, Phool Singh and Chandrakanth Chaudhary. The court found that the manner in which the victims were attacked, their helplessness and the conduct of the convicts ruled out life imprisonment as an appropriate alternative.
The court also considered reports concerning the convicts’ prospects of rehabilitation and concluded that none of the three had any chance of reformation.
Court Rules Out Life Imprisonment
While examining the appropriate punishment, the court observed that the victims had neither provoked the attackers nor possessed any means of defending themselves against the three men.
The judge described the offences as exceptionally cruel and noted that the younger victim was only 12 years old.
According to the court, the nature of the assault and the deliberate killing of two defenceless persons were sufficient to shock both judicial and public conscience.
The court further distinguished the motive behind the assault on the adult victim, observing that Kuldeep Sahu had subjected her to gang rape and murder not merely to satisfy sexual desire but to assert his ego, teach police personnel a lesson or seek revenge against her husband.
The judge concluded that the circumstances of the crime and the conduct of the convicts left no justification for imposing a sentence of life imprisonment.
Court Notes Kuldeep Sahu’s Criminal History
The sentencing order referred to Kuldeep Sahu as a habitual offender with a prolonged criminal record.
According to the court, he first became involved in criminal activity in 2015 while he was a juvenile. Over the following 11 years, he was implicated in more than 22 criminal cases.
The court also noted that the convicts were involved in three cases arising from incidents on a single day, including offences directed against police officials or their family members.
The judge found that their conduct reflected a disregard for legal authority and an absence of fear of criminal consequences.
The court additionally referred to Kuldeep Sahu’s behaviour following his conviction, particularly his smiling gesture towards media personnel outside the courtroom.
After examining the probation reports and other relevant material, the judge held that the three convicts did not demonstrate any prospect of rehabilitation.
Public Outrage Also Mentioned in Sentencing Order
The judgment recorded the public reaction following the murders, including an incident in which an angry crowd set fire to the main convict’s house.
The court noted that hundreds of people from different sections of society had gathered inside and outside the district court on the day of the judgment.
Some members of the gathering reportedly demanded that the convict be handed over to them so that they could punish him immediately.
The judge referred to these incidents while discussing the extent of public outrage over the killings.
How the Crime Came to Light
The prosecution case originated from the disappearance of a police personnel’s wife and minor daughter in 2024.
According to the complaint, the man attempted to contact his wife at night but found her mobile phone switched off. When he returned home at approximately 11.55 pm, he discovered that the main gate was open.
Bloodstains were visible along the staircase and towards the kitchen, while his wife and daughter were missing.
The complainant suspected Kuldeep Sahu because of an incident earlier that day in which Sahu had allegedly attempted to run over police officials with his car during an interaction concerning the violation of an externment order.
The complainant believed that the accused had a motive to retaliate against him.
Police initially registered an FIR relating to the disappearance. The following day, information emerged about two unidentified bodies discovered in a nearby village.
The complainant subsequently identified the deceased as his wife and daughter. Post-mortem examinations established that both had died as a result of homicidal injuries.
Prosecution Alleged Conspiracy and Destruction of Evidence
Investigators alleged that Kuldeep Sahu, Phool Singh alias Rinku, Chandrkant Chaudhary and Aryan Vishwakarma alias Goldy had conspired to carry out the offences.
The prosecution maintained that the accused forcibly entered the victims’ residence, subjected them to sexual assault and caused fatal injuries.
It further alleged that Kuldeep Sahu and others attempted to conceal or destroy evidence after committing the crimes.
Following the trial, the Surajpur court imposed the death penalty on Kuldeep Sahu, Phool Singh and Chandrakanth Chaudhary, holding that the gravity of their actions and the absence of prospects for reformation warranted capital punishment.
